Traveling Life's Highway: Don't Stay in your Lane

Life has seasons, stages and certain feelings and aspirations attached to the different things you experience or responsibilities you may have. Sometimes it is a leisurely stroll and at other times it can be bumper to bumper traffic. I'm likening it to a highway here (cue up the song Life is a Highway) for illustrative purposes, but also to build a visual of the lanes you'll likely be traveling in from time to time.

I'm also here to tell you there is no double yellow line and you are free to choose which lane you want to be in. Perhaps it is slow and steady. Perhaps it's the fast lane. You may even be on the shoulder right now, but you don't have to stay there, so let's start there.

The Shoulder

You can end up on 'the shoulder' for a wide variety of reasons. You're just starting out and you are afraid to merge into traffic. You hit a rough patch and you needed to pull over and assess the damage. You are angry, frustrated or aggrieved and you need to cool your jets. You are completely broken down and in desperate need of assistance. If this is you, flag someone down. Ask for help. The thing about the shoulder is it's not a lane. It is a temporary place that you can use when you need it. When you are there, people can see you need help and it is our duty to help if we can. Take your time to get prepared to get back in the race. This is only a pit stop and the slow lane of life gladly awaits your return.

Lane 1: Hopeful

You are on your way making slow and steady progress toward whatever goal or expectation you have set for yourself. In this lane you have a bumper sticker that reads 'Looking for Hope: please be patient'. You know where you want to go, but this is all new to you, this effort to learn, grow and become a new member of the team, a new parent, a new spouse. Think of all the things in life we have to figure out from scratch! But don't go it alone. Draft behind those with the experience and the know-how to teach and guide you along the way. This is the lane where safety and caution most come into play, but you'll soon get the hang of it and be ready for lane 2.

Lane 2: Contented

You are getting the hang of things now and hopefully it is working in your favor. With experience comes greater risks and with that, greater reward. You are earning your keep and building that sense of pride that comes with success and independence. You are starting to trust your instincts about your career path and what you think you'd like to ultimately achieve. Remember to practice defensive driving too and if life starts to work against you or conditions change, don't get stuck, you can always move back to lane 1 and regroup. We almost never travel at the same rate of speed for long. Life, like traffic, is fluid. Some opportunities may close for a time, while others may open up. If you see the right one, it may be time for lane 3.

Lane 3: Fullfilled

You are really cruising now. You may not be exactly where you want to end up, but you appreciate the ride and the space around you. It's a comfortable spot where you feel like you are truly making a difference and not only that, but people are drafting behind you now. Your team, your family, your friends and colleagues are all trusting on you to carry them along. They know you do good work and that you have people's best interests in mind. As you go with the flow, don't pass up those points of interest and scenic overlooks. They will broaden your perspective and allow you to survey your life for those little extra things you meant to focus more on. Your fulfillment is a well-earned result of your carefully crafted itinerary so far. Go ahead, move over into the fast lane for a while.

Lane 4: Overjoyed

This lane is tricky. You took a lot of time and made a lot of strategic maneuvers to get here. But the thing about the passing lane is you aren't always meant to stay. If the road is clear ahead, then by all means, enjoy it. Put that car into 'overjoyed' and drive on! It is OK do downshift back to fulfillment though. It's almost as good, with less of a risk of running out of fuel. We were meant to find joy in this world and to share it with others, to show them how to achieve their own level of success and to share the road. As our Texas highway signs implore us, 'Drive Friendly' and make life in the fast lane a friendly experience for ALL.

I guess I'll sing us out:

There ain't no load that I can't hold; A road so rough, this I know; I'll be there when the light comes in; Tell 'em we're survivors. Life is a Highway...

Enjoy the road ahead and let me know if you need any roadside assistance!

#life #goals #work #leadership #inspiration #motivation #personaldevelopment